Klarinet Archive - Posting 000827.txt from 2004/10

From: "Thiel, Mark" <thielm@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Question about middle Bb (or: I think I'm in love)
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 09:55:45 -0400

Michele Kaeder wrote:
> . . .
>Except for middle Bb. The standard fingering gives a thin, pasty, airy,

>sad little tone. The alternate fingering sounded superb, . . .

GaryT:
>2. Try what I call "the real" Bb fingering; A key and next-to-the-top=20
>sidekey, or A key, register key and 2nd and 3rd tone holes covered. =20
>Both fingerings produce a much clearer and louder Bb and are also in
tune.

Well of course as always, the "real" fingering is the one that gives the
results you want. I consider the real fingering to be a resonance
fingering, i.e. the "standard" A + register and some additional holes
closed. I add
l.h. 3 + r.h. 3 + the F/C key. It takes some getting used to but if
you're moving to the upper register you have the advantage of already
having a few fingers down, versus trying to roll your hand off the trill
key. Which fingers down help is variable though; you might even find
that closing all the r.h. holes is best. Other throat notes can also be
helped with resonance fingerings. Coincidentally my teacher was getting
me to experiment with fingerings to help the A yesterday (though I
hadn't noticed it had a problem).

Of course the clarinet may be improved too. You should certainly take
the register key off and look down the tube. If you're really lucky
there will be a dead bug in there and evicting him will make the Bb
copacetic. (I like the fact that Bill Gate's spell checker thinks that
cop acetic needs a space in the middle, like a vinegary policeman). But
even cleaning out a minor amount of dust and gunk may help. My
repairman did some magic on the Bb of my Yamaha A, but I don't know what
-- it's certainly worthwhile to let a really good clarinet tech look at
it.

I like the sound of your band, though I'm certainly not a rock kind of
guy. (How's that for damning with faint praise -- almost as bad as the
preacher who would always say "This probably shows how little I know
about music, but I liked that song" after the choir sang?) Or is it
rock-n-roll? I'm hard put to categorize Michele's band other than
saying there's more beat to it than your typical K. 622. Of course
anything can be improved by the addition of a clarinet!

Mark Thiel

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